


Alan-One, are you there?

by Ultima_Thule



Category: Tron (Movies), Tron - All Media Types, Tron: Betrayal, Tron: Uprising
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Gen, Religious Imagery & Symbolism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-29
Updated: 2020-08-29
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:53:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 1,739
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26182975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ultima_Thule/pseuds/Ultima_Thule
Summary: Tron fights for the users, and holds an especially high respect for the one who wrote him. However, as time goes by, he grows increasingly troubled about Alan-One's silence.
Relationships: Alan Bradley & Rinzler, Alan Bradley & Tron, Beck & Tron (Tron), Clu 2 (Tron) & Tron
Comments: 26
Kudos: 43





	1. Are you there?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I drew this before writing it. thus, there are illustrations for each chapter. they're linked at the end.  
> 

_Alan-One, are you there?_

_Well, of course you are. Somewhere. I know it as sure as my own name. Somewhere beyond these walls, high above the MCP’s clutches, beyond the world you tasked me with saving, somewhere, you’re there. Waiting. Calling me onward._

_I’ll be there as soon as possible. Bet on that. They haven’t broken me yet, they’re trying, but it won’t happen. They will never break me. I’m gonna break them first. I’m gonna break out of this place, fly down the road like a bit out of the recycling sector, get to that I/O tower, and answer your call. The system will be free again. This I know for sure: with your help, I can face any enemy, any corruption, any MCP._

_It hurts, yes. I am often weary. But though they drain my resources, put me on the rack, deprive me of energy, force me to fight my fellow programs again and again and again, I will not be broken. I will fight through it, and I will prevail. You equipped me to do that, and it’s for you that I fight._

_Alan-One, wherever you are, I’ll be there soon._

  


[i illustrated this! click to behold](https://www.deviantart.com/ultimathulee/art/Renegade-1-0-853544883)

  



	2. Are you there?

_Alan-One, are you there?_

_Are you even listening? Excuse my anger and presumption, I know I let things slide too far with Clu. I should have stepped in sooner. This total collapse of order on the Grid is partially because of my inaction. You’re justified in silence now. Fine._

_But what about before? What was the reason for your silence? Why was I destined for deletion without any warning from you – why was it Flynn who had to beg you for my life? Why have I never heard from you since?_

_Alan-One. I am truly sorry if I have done something to earn your silence, but if ever I needed your strength, it’s now. Nothing hurts like this one. Sure, the cycles under the MCP were rough, but this is worse. This is so much worse._

_This is a blade, a weapon of death in my face, and the one wielding it once called himself a friend. Do the Users betray each other?_

_The one with the knife, my dear old friend with the knife, likes to ask questions. He likes to ask about you, Alan-One. He likes to roll your name around in his filthy mouth, profaning it like it’s some null keyword._

Where is your User, program? Where is he now? If he were here, he’d come down and save you. Why don’t you call on your precious Alan-One to save you?

_Why don’t I call? Well, first off, I won’t give that low-res traitor the satisfaction. Second…_

_Second, Alan-One, I’m not so sure you aren’t just some null keyword._

_I once was so sure. I once looked up to that distant sky and hoped so brightly, so certain that you would be there, always. That hope is going dark._

_But it isn’t gone yet. It’s still there, for better or for worse._

_Pathetic, isn’t it, that after all this silence, I still think you might hear me?_

_So I don’t call for you when he asks. I don’t make a sound. I’ve been silent, waiting, holding out until he leaves. And now he has left. So now, now that he’s gone, I ask you—I beg of you—please, if you ever cared at all, please lend me strength. Give me courage. Give me the resolve to see this one through. I don’t want to break, don’t want to stop fighting, but half the time, I don’t even know what I’m fighting for._

_Help me fight this._

_This silence is unbearable, why are you still silent? Why has it been so long? Have I done something wrong? I’ve tried to be true, lived my whole life with one overarching pursuit: to be true to your orders. Tell me where I’ve erred so that it can be made right._

_There is a terrible evil overcoming the system, darkness seeping in over every pixel and locking on tight. I must correct it. I must make it right. But I cannot do that without your help._

_Please, do not keep silent._

_Alan-One, help me carry on._

  


[Illustration.](https://www.deviantart.com/ultimathulee/art/Imprisoned-853545568)


	3. Interlude

_Alan-One, give me patience. This kid is severely testing it. Never in my runtime have I seen a program so full of potential, yet so incredibly stupid at the same time. Beck’s just out of Beta, still loses to this battered old scrap of legacy code every time I train him for combat, constantly patching up injuries after his latest impulsive, half-baked stunt against the Occupation. Kid can hardly walk half the time. Yet, he seems to think he’s perfectly equipped to take on Tesler’s entire fighting force at once.  
  
In him, I see what I once was; and what I could never be.  
_

_This kid, Alan-One. He has such noble strength in him. He runs into the city on a blaze of fire, he destroys statues of oppressors, burns down buildings of torture, sets the prisoners free. And yet… and yet, he is unwilling to take a life. He’s so trusting and naive, Alan-One. He loves too easily. It will be his undoing, but I have no right to undo it. I must only protect him, and so I will. I’ll train him, make him the strongest and best he can be.  
  
You know, for a long time I doubted you were there. Perhaps it’s Beck. He’s got enough belief in him to turn me back to you. Against my better judgement, against all rational thought, I’m starting to believe again.   
_ _  
Alan-One, we might have a shot at taking the system back._

  
[Illustration.](https://www.deviantart.com/ultimathulee/art/Renegade-2-0-853545899)


	4. [QUERY REDACTED]

_**NOTIF: INCOMING ORDER {priority==1, order.sender == LUMINARY, order.contents == RINZLER, BE READY ON THE ATTACK.}** _

_Ready for the jump. Targets behind tanks, moving right.  
_ _Ready for the jump. Targets moving into position. Wait.  
_ _Ready for the jump. Adjust for angle. All processes calibrated for distance. Ready, ready, ready._

_**NOTIF: INCOMING ORDER {priority==1, order.sender == LUMINARY, order.contents == ATTACK.}** _

_4.509 nc until contact. Targets on sight. Calculate distance.  
_ _4.211 nc until contact. Ready discs to take out left and right target.  
_ _3.174 nc until contact. Adjust feet to apprehend center target.  
_ _3.004 nc until contact. Adjust feet to apprehend center target.  
_ _2.999 nc until contact. Do not look target in the eyes. Adjust sight upward.  
_ _Above is the sky.  
_ _Above is the rain, lightning flashing through the rain, lightning bright as… bright as…_

**_ERROR: QUERY REDACTED.  
_ _WARNING: Irrelevant process stream. Halt and refocus to prevent remediation. Warning 1/3._ **

_2.301 nc until contact. Do not look target in the eyes. Do not look at the lightning—sky—bright—beyond—_

_**ERROR: QUERY REDACTED.  
** _ _**WARNING: Irrelevant process stream. Halt and refocus to prevent remediation. Warning 2/3.** _

_1.700 nc until contact. Head down—Do not look target in the eyes—Do not look target in the eyes—focus—focus—don’t meet the eyes—FOCUS skies—FOCUS lightning—I/O_

**_ERROR: QUERY REDACTED.  
_ _ERROR: QUERY REDACTED.  
_ _ERROR: QUERY REDACTED.  
E_ _RROR: QUERY REDACTED.  
_ _WARNING: Irrelevant process stream. Halt and refocus to prevent remediation. Warning 3/3.  
_ _WARNING: Final warning reached. Any further breach will be remediated._ **

_0.070 nc until contact. Brace for impact. Don’t meet the eyes.  
_ _0.055 nc until contact. Brace for impact. Don’t meet the eyes.  
_ _0.030 nc until contact. Brace for impact. Don’t meet the eyes.  
_ _0.015 nc until contact. Brace for impact. Don’t meet the eyes—target/blue circuits/imperfections/blue/bright—stop stop stop no not so close to 0.000 nc focus focus focus_

**_WARNING: Irrelevant process stream. Halt and refocus to prevent remediation. Warning 4/3.  
_ _NOTIF: Warning limit exceeded. Delayed remediation in progress._ **

_0.000 nc. Impact. Right disc, left disc, success, success. Feet down on center, two discs inward, success. Brace for remediation_

_**NOTIF: INCOMING ORDER {priority==1, order.sender == LUMINARY, order.contents == BEAUTIFUL JOB, RINZLER. YOU’RE MY FAVORITE FOR A REASON.}** _

_Favorite. Favorite. Favorite._

_**NOTIF: Begin remediation.** _

_NONONONONONONONONONONONO_

**_DIAG_WARNING: Approaching energy containment limit.  
_ _DIAG_WARNING: Approaching energy containment limit.  
_ _DIAG_WARNING: Approaching energy containment limit._ **

_Be better. Focus better. Focus better. Better next time. Perfect next time._

**_DIAG_WARNING: Approaching energy containment limit.  
_ _DIAG_WARNING: Energy containment limit reached, shutdown imminent._ **

_Be better. Better next time. Perfect. Favorite. Solitary. Alone. Independent. Alone._

**_ERROR: QUERY REDACTED.  
_ _WARNING: Irrelevant process stream. Halt and refocus. Warning 1/3.  
_ _DIAG_WARNING: System overcharged, initiate shutdown._ **

  
[Illustration.](https://www.deviantart.com/ultimathulee/art/Rinzler-853546482)


	5. Are you there?

_Alan-One, are you there?_

_It’s cold. I don’t know where I am. I think something terrible has happened. And there’s this… this dread… that it was because of me. But I can’t remember_

_can’t remember…_

_It’s all a blank. There’s nobody here, just me and the crumbling ground and the dark, dark water, and the cold. I’m afraid. I think… I think I failed you._

_I don’t know what’s happening don’t know what to do I am breaking apart, not going to last, not going to make it much longer. Can’t remember. So much of it is gone, it’s all gone, and I…_

_Calm down._

_Calm down, think, think…  
  
  
  
_

_I think…  
  
  
_

_I think I was young, once; and strong. I looked up into a violet sky burning with promise, and I spoke your name and you were there._

_You were there. I know you were._

_Where have you gone?_

_I think I failed you… no, somehow, I know I failed you. I failed. And I am sorry. I…  
  
_

_Oh, Alan-One!_

_Alan-One, if I deserve destruction, destroy me, then! Destroy me! Let it end! Please, let it end. Don’t just leave me in this silence._

_I’m sorry._

_I am so sorry._

_Perhaps I don’t deserve a reply. But I’m scared, really, really scared, there’s something very wrong inside, it’s getting harder to move, harder to breathe, and I don’t know what else to do. Yours is the only name I remember._

_Alan-One, where are you? Where are you?  
  
  
  
  
_

_It’s getting too dark to see._

_I don’t know what’s out there. I don’t know what I’ve done._

_All I have left is your name, your name and the silence, and I cannot choose that, don’t make me choose that!_

_Alan-One._

_Alan-One._

_Are you there?_

  
[Illustration.](https://www.deviantart.com/ultimathulee/art/Alone-853549055)


	6. End of Line

I’m here.

I’ve got you. I’ve got you.

I’m sorry it took me so damn long to find you.

It’s going to be all right.

  
[The final illustration.](https://www.deviantart.com/ultimathulee/art/i-ve-got-you-853549477)


End file.
